Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Whimsy, below, in the metaphor of sanctity. What? Taking the choice, below, to walk into the garden, you must bow your head, at the shrine of espaliered trees.
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Soon, hedging will shield the house from the outer world, flying buttresses, arc-boutant, to the nave within.
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Is your life worth anything less?
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Stewardship of self. In all its layers.

For good measure, several ball rooms planted into the back yard, above.

The long hallway, above at right, a promenade, lit in the manner of le jardin rustique. With hedging at the backyard too, another nave, a double cathedral built,
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Someone, at the top of their game, above.
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Garden & Be Well, XO T
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We are still tending structural outdoor necessities at our ca. 1900 American farmhouse garden. Pouring more gravel, putting in paths, lighting, plantings, must wait. One of those 'necessities' a well. Beloved has worked with the well diggers many times during his construction career, he trusts them. Good, fine. My concern is flagrantly obvious. Where will they find water? How will it affect designing the garden?
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We chose similar lights, above, for a renovated shed. Once installed, I knew those lights would be perfect for the rest of the garden, on posts along pathways. Imagine my surprise seeing the pic, above.
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What a day I had on the old Kubota tractor yesterday. Wounded pride, newbie mistakes. Hilarious being an 'expert' and embarking upon a new learning curve in the garden. Details sketchy, pride still ruffled.
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Pics from here.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

About 3 weeks ago we installed a pair of flying buttresses in a potager I designed.
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Choosing an evergreen shrub, then sourcing it in 3 different sizes proved impossible locally, state wide, region wide, and flyover country wide. Finally, sourced on the west coast. It's the new normal sourcing plants for real gardens.
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Flying buttresses were not part of the college curriculum for horticulture, in USA. Of course I discovered them studying across Europe for decades. 1st garden in 1st country toured, literally. No one seemed to have a name for them, nor did any of my peers seem as excited about them as I was/am.
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Their use, below, quite apparent. These, below, are the high end of fancy.

Pic, above, here.
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Evergreens, above, pay the rent (for me), the herbaceous perennials do not. Peaking for a mere 2 weeks/year, deadheading, dividing, weeding, staking, blank in winter. Nope. Instead, I would fill their space with flowering shrubs, a succession throughout the year, and bulbs. Perhaps a lone flamboyant Clematis roguchi clambering a single buttress, as it dances with sunlight. Yes, now I'm pleased, and amused. With no down time & significantly less labor.
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Garden & Be Well, XO T